By Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa
Friday turned out to be a dry day in Goa. Not literally, but in terms of action in the first games of Round 5 of the FIDE World Cup. Seven of the eight games in the round of 16 were drawn. India’s Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna were among that lot. This means the issue will be settled in the second set of classical games on Saturday. If not, it will spill over to the tie-breakers to be played in the shorter formats a day later.
Harikrishna was up against the in-form Jose Martínez Alcantara of Mexico. The players settled for a truce in about an hour and 48 minutes. It was the first game of the day to get over. Experts felt neither side had a decisive edge and the players opted for a draw after 41 moves. Erigaisi appeared to have an edge against Levon Aronian of the USA, but failed to break through and settled for a draw.
Was it a bad day for the two Indians left in this competition, highlighted by the exits of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi and Nihal Sarin? Possibly not. At this stage of the competition, nobody wants to take unnecessary risks, which explains why so many games were drawn. No one wants to invite trouble, so they play safe.
Erigaisi didn’t seem to have that kind of mindset. He was facing an in-form Aronian and after a steady start, appeared to have a slight advantage. Commentators bringing the telecast live from the venue felt the Indian had an edge. It was not a substantial one though, and Aronian kept finding accurate defensive moves under pressure to avert danger.
It was not easy for Erigaisi to convert his advantage, according to the experts, and that’s exactly how it unfolded. A slight edge at this level may not mean anything substantial, and that’s how it petered out. The Indian had a time advantage, which dwindled gradually and ultimately, the opponents were left Even Stevens.
Jakhongir Sindarov of Uzbekistan was the only player to register a win. He defeated Frederik Svane of Germany, who had eliminated world champion D Gukesh in the third round. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. All those who drew, and the two who won and lost, have a chance to come back on Saturday and add a new chapter to this developing story.
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